Idle No More at Ottawa’s Rideau Centre today

At the Idle No More event at Ottawa’s Rideau Centre today, I bore witness:

 I saw friendly activists handing out literature:

I saw a poster that said “We Support Chief Spence”. Theresa Spence, the Chief of the Northern Ontario First Nation of Attawapiskat is in Day 20 of her hunger strike. She started her peaceful protest on December 11, 2012. She’s demanding a meeting involving Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a representative of the Queen and First Nations leaders. She wants to discuss treaty agreements between Canada and First Nations, and recent legislation that seeks disempower, exploit, control and marginalize First Nations:

I saw a poster that  said Prime Minister “Stephen Harper and David Johnston (Governor General) Meet Chief  Theresa Spence”. So far Harper has maintained a stubborn wall of silence. One that seeks to overwhelm the peaceful protest.

I saw an activist talking to the media about why we are Idle No More.

At the Idle No More event at Ottawa’s Rideau Centre today, I bore witness.

I saw Ottawa Police Service and Rideau Mall security details:

Cops familiar; cops I know from my protest experiences in the capital.

At the Idle No More event at Ottawa’s Rideau Centre today, I saw a cops’ fingers fondling the toy attached to their waists.

RELATED:

• Idle No More: Canadian Citizen Writes to the Governor General
• What Chief Spence’s Hunger Strike Says About Canada
• For Idle No More, A solidarity statement from the gates of Buckingham Palace (Video)
• Idle No More Movement’s Manifesto